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This work is based off of the world of The Pretenders Novels Series Rebirth and Saving Luke. If you haven’t read them, but you want to read this, just a warning: There are major spoilers and some differences. The most prominent, this not being in the 90’s but somewhere in the year 2013. (Going by published date of Rebirth.) It screamed to me to be done, but it could only be done in the world of the novels. Accordingly, I extrapolated some of the original TV series information into here that didn’t interfere with the novels. I hope you enjoy it. If it has been a little while since you read the novels, there are some basic character overviews below Chapter One and I might add some as time goes by if I have to. Enjoy!

 

 

Three months out of The Centre. Sydney watched as Jarod was sent back to his dome. Back to his old life. In the end, he saved Luke. He managed to do a few more Pretends that meant something, but he stayed too long on the last one. A woman’s life was at stake, and he had to risk the increased chance of getting caught.

All those sims, left to atone for that he couldn’t. Sydney knew that must be tearing him up inside.

“Now, stay in your cage this time.” Miss Parker had her gun and eyes on him the whole time he was being placed back in Sydney’s lab. Into the dome Jarod called home for thirty years on SL19. If it hadn’t been for her, he could have gotten away. She chased him down with every inch of her life. Literally, she risked her life to catch him. Oh. She risked way too much. For her Daddy.

Then the current sims. They would make him do them or they’d do something terrible. Sydney knew he’d choose the something terrible. I’m sorry, Jarod.

Miss Parker was getting commendations from her Daddy now. Well, sort of. He cut her off in favor of talking to her Uncle Zane instead. Not a surprise. There she was, all the pride that held her, silenced into nothingness as Mister Parker talked. Less praise. More ‘we are back in business’. Not surprising. Sydney knew catching Jarod would not get her any extra love or attention.

Sydney saw Jarod motioning to the side inside of his dome. After Miss Parker took off and Zane was on the other side of the room talking to Mister Parker, Sydney went over toward Jarod.

And he found out? Jarod let himself get caught.

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“It doesn’t matter,” Jarod said flamboyantly to the room, walking away from the corner with Sydney. He should have enough under his belt for this one. For one, he still knew how to escape. Once he finished this closer examination, he’d be out of The Centre again, complete with a ride waiting for him.

This was supposed to be done in a slow manner. He was trying to slowly open Miss Parker’s eyes to the truth. Especially about her mother. Once she started to learn to be a little nice, he’d share more. A little nicer, he’d share a little more. Give and take, but someday she’d have the whole truth. As he got into his psychological training for his next Pretend though, he realized it wasn’t going to be that way. That she advanced much faster along the road to destruction and he didn’t have the luxury of time to work with her. She could be dead by the time he reached the end, and another death was not something he wanted on his mind. Especially not hers.

One ‘all in’ Pretend, as himself. The captured Jarod. When it came to the past, her past, and the Parkers past in general? There were gaps of mystery that even his genius couldn’t find. Burned away through time. To get into her head, to become her, he needed to get closer than within gun distance. With her chasing him, it wasn’t easy to get to her. To talk to her. She’d have no choice if she was stuck with him, to face the consequences.

Twenty eight hours and counting before his ride.

Time to begin. “You can’t stop me from escaping. You don’t even know how I did it in the first place.”

Ooh. That look from Mister Parker. “You better start getting your attitude back in order. There’s no escape now.”

“Actually,” Sydney disagreed. “Once Jarod has done something, he tends to find an alternate path quite quickly. Even if we discovered the way he got out, he probably already has ideas about a second way. It’s how his mind works.”

“You can’t stop me.” Jarod put his hands up against the plexi glass dome. “I know what the real world is like, and I will never stop trying to get away! Cameras and security systems will never stop me.”

Mister Parker was getting angrier. “Sydney!”

“He has experienced freedom,” Sydney explained. “He will never stop trying to run away unless we come to some kind of compromises to make him happy. To make him feel free enough to not want to run away.”

“Even then, you can’t really stop me,” Jarod added. He put his arms back down. “Face it. You have no way to keep me in here. Unless your willing to-”

“Oh!” Zane interrupted Jarod like an idea had hit him. He looked at his brother, Mister Parker. “Oh! We do. We do have someone.”

“No.” Mister Parker vehemently shook his head. “No, we don’t!”

Mister Parker and his brother Zane were starting to get into a fight? Interesting outcome. He hadn’t even got to the Miss Parker request yet. Looks like unresolved issues made this even easier.

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Mister Parker and Zane went straight up to his office. Mister Parker got behind his desk but didn’t sit down. “Don’t you start pulling that on me! She abhors that man! I know what you’re thinking but it’d never happen. Never. She had access to him forever and never did anything wild.”

“According to the footage, she did something,” Zane said.

“Not as an adult, just as a teen, and it was only a little kiss,” he muttered. “You better not do it.”

“Give me The Centre.”

“No! I know you are good friends with the Triumvirate but even they would see how a move like this isn’t worth it,” Mister Parker continued. “She’s a Parker.”

“You’re right. Maybe not this move. Maybe a better one,” Zane said as he pulled out his phone and hit the number to one of the Triumvirate. “This is Zane. I think it’s time you should know something interesting about my niece.”

“Don’t!” Mister Parker demanded. “What do you want?”

“The Centre,” Zane demanded.

“No.” He coldly looked at him. “You’d never give her back.” He slammed his fist against the desk. “She is a Parker and the next to rule! We captured Jarod fair and square, the Triumvirate is happy. Don’t do this to the family, Zane.” He took a deep breath. “Zane?” he growled. “Zane!”

“I would like to call an online conference meeting with everyone soon. Say, an hour?” Zane said. “Yes, don’t worry, Jarod will be safely watched during that time. By my own niece in the dome.” He hung up.

“Zane!” Mister Parker had such anger in his eyes. “You. Can’t. Be serious!”

“Well? Perhaps you should give my niece a heads up how serious she should take this?” Then, Zane smiled.

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Out. Finally. Miss Parker moved through The Centre with pride, her heels making sounds of congratulations each step of the way. Daddy was happy again. He said she did good. A little disappointed in the time it took, but overall good. It took a little longer than she wanted to nail The Pretender, but it was done. No one escaped The Centre. She went out the doors and unlocked her Porsche. Time to get back to her own life. She got in her car, drove off and listened to her newest song from Pink. Slut Like You. It was like her national anthem. However before she even got out of view of The Centre, she got a call from Daddy. She silenced Pink and answered her phone. “Yes, Daddy.”

“Angel, get back here.”

What? “I captured Jarod, Daddy.” She wanted to get out now. Her duty was done.

“Angel, please. I need you.”

“Okay.” Daddy needed her, enough said. She drove her Porsche back over to The Centre doors again. She saw Broots and Sydney right there waiting. What were they expecting, a goodbye? She didn’t do that crap. She moved past them, taking the lead of the trio back downward to SL19, where Jarod’s dome was kept in Sydney’s lab space. Her eyes went automatically toward her father. “I’m here, Daddy.”

“Jarod brought up a very good point,” he said to her. He held his hands out to her, as if to embrace her. “Come here, Angel.”

She didn’t care about Jarod’s point, just that her father wanted to embrace her. Embrace her. He needed her. He wanted her.

“Now, this is going to sound a little strange, Pumpkin.” He went over to Jarod’s dome and used his security clearance to open it. Three key card swipes and a code.

Jarod stood in front of the door. Strangely, waving. That look. He was up to something.

“Truth of the matter is, Angel? You are the one who caught Jarod,” her father pointed it. “We don’t even know how he got out, and he’s threatening to escape in the exact same way.”

He couldn’t, it would be impossible. Then again, him getting out in the first place was impossible.

“Once Jarod puts his mind to something, he can always accomplish it,” Sydney said from behind her. “Even if one door closes, another opens. He has experienced freedom, months of it. Containing him the same way will not be easy.”

Put him in a metal box and put air holes in it, why was she supposed to care? She wanted to get away from him. He still looked like he was up to something.

“We could put all the security in the world on him, but it wouldn’t matter,” her father said. “You’re the best, Angel.”

Daddy says I’m the best. Yes, she had been.

“While other people helped, you were the one that brought him in. Kept everyone in line. I believe in you. I trust in you.” Her father smiled at her so lovingly. So warmly. He believed in her. He trusted in her. “Until Zane and I reach an agreement, you can keep him from running away.”

What? He wants me to watch Jarod? The Centre had several guards. She’d ask about them, but he already addressed it. She was the best. Enough said, she couldn’t ask a question twice, and she already knew his answer. That would upset him.

“You can watch him from within his dome.”

What? “Daddy?” No. “I’m not that good.”

“No, you’re the best. Absolutely the best,” her father praised her again. “Short time.” He opened the door and pushed her in gently. He closed the door. “There. He won’t be able to get away with much while Zane and I are piecing everything out.”

“One escaping seemed impossible,” Sydney said. “Two escaping would be fantasy. This is the best solution.”

Why? Why me? She couldn’t ask though, Daddy already answered. Never the same question twice, it made him mad. She looked ahead of her at Jarod. Short time.

“Hi, Honey,” Jarod teased. “Welcome home.”

She turned back around to look at her dad. “He’s unstable.”

“No he’s not,” her father said. “He’s a Pretender. There’s a difference. You’ll be fine. Oh?” He went back to open the door. “I’m going to need your gun. You can’t risk harming him aggressively.” Mister Parker held his hand out for her gun. “Any other guns, bullets, or knives. Your holster too. Any weapon at all, hand it over, Sweetie.”

Okay, think. She handed over her holster and her gun. She checked her leg for her extra gun. How do I get out of this without upsetting Daddy? “I don’t trust him.”

“Of course we don’t trust him, that’s why you are staying in there,” he reasoned. “We already established that!”

Oh no. She had accidentally made him answer her twice. “Sorry, Daddy.”

“Right. It’s alright.” He held out his hand for her other gun. She thought about everything on her that could be a weapon. She even checked her purse for things. “Here, I’ll just take that.” Her father took her purse. “Good job. Watch him well while we discuss things.” He closed the door again. “Don’t worry, Sweetie. Won’t take long. You’re the future of The Centre, remember?”

“Right, right.” Jarod stood closer next to her. “That’s why he lets you risk your life trying to capture me. You’re the future.” She raised her eyes to him. “That look is so terrible; it’s almost considered a weapon.” He moved away slightly.

This trick wouldn’t stand.

Her Daddy stared at Jarod. “We’re off to discuss things. I suggest you still be a good boy, hm? My daughter’s not weak, even without weapons.”

“I guess so.” Jarod shrugged. “Still, I feel imprisoned. Even with her here, I’ll find something.”

“What do you want?” Daddy demanded of him. “Just give me your demands and I will see what I can do.”

“I want whatever Miss Parker eats for each meal,” Jarod said. “Cafeteria food, like everyone else. Served on a big platter, with two plates.”

Why did he just put her in the middle of a demand? This babysitting wouldn’t be long. Keep it together. This is for Daddy. Jarod is messing with your head, you can beat this shit.

“Understood,” Daddy agreed.

“I choose the sims I do. I’m not doing military, or anything that can be reversed to cause destruction,” Jarod demanded. “Sydney approved first, Jarod approved second.”

Daddy didn’t like that. “Noted,” he muttered. Military and terrorism was what made the big bucks, but if Jarod escaped, it would be down to no bucks again.

“I liked experiencing culture outside,” Jarod said. “The ice cream was fun.”

“You want ice cream then?” Daddy asked.

“No, I want something different. Not just food. Things everyone gets to know about, but I don’t,” Jarod demanded.

Daddy sighed. He was getting so stressed. Poor him. “Fine, we’ll discuss Sydney getting you one new thing to explore every day. Is that it?”

“I want a bigger living space. It’s too cramped in here,” Jarod complained.

Oh, Daddy looked soo red. Jarod was making him feel so bad. Damn, Jarod, he was pushing on purpose. He probably didn’t even want that, he just wanted to hurt him. “Maybe we can add a smaller second dome.”

“That’s it?” Jarod kept complaining. “I experienced the world, and I only get a smaller second dome to be happy?” He shook his head. “Bigger.”

 “Fine, maybe a medium sized dome can be worked out. Happy?!” Oh, her Daddy was not happy. Not happy at all. She would kill Jarod for making him unhappy, if that wouldn’t have made him unhappier.

Jarod stroked his chin. Like he was debating on something. He was looking at Sydney too. She knew that damn look. It was the same one he had as a young teenager. He was deciding on a move like in his stupid chess games when he was younger. He played moves all day, so it meant it was a complicated move. Done wrong, it could lose a game. Done right, it could win it. Normally, it would be nothing she gave a shit about.

But he involved her in his effing game.

“For now,” he settled with. Then he gave her a strange look. Almost funny. “Are you on the pill?”

Fuuuuuck him, oh sooooo fuck him. “Why would that mat-ter?” Her voice was staccato and harsh.

“Covering ground,” Jarod twirled his foot slightly. “We are two opposite genders.” He leaned in closer against the plexiglass toward Daddy. “Never know what will happen.”

“Genders not everything!” Daphne said from behind Sydney, coming in. “I’ve just now been made aware of the situation, Miss Parker.” She looked toward Mister Parker. “Sir, she doesn’t have to guard Jarod. She just has to guard the door. To even get into Sydney’s lab away from the dome, he needs the door.” She came closer to the door and looked from side to side. “These are already cut into three columns. She could take the second one to defend.” Daphne looked at her like she was helping.

She wasn’t.

“That’s perfect,” Zane agreed. “There’s no problem now. She can remain there, at the halfway point. No further discussion needed.”

What? “Whoah,” Miss Parker said to Zane. “That’s not right. I’m not the Living Computer ‘I like ice cream wheee’ guy! I have a life.” She banged on the plexiglass. “Normal people don’t live like this!”

“Actually, it’s not too bad,” her Daddy said. “Well?” He came up over toward the door and looked around at the walls. “Jarod’s sims take place over there. He can be over there, and cut through to reach the other side. You just-oh!” He snapped his fingers. “I’ve got it, Angel! Move in right here.”

“What?”

“Well, you can’t fit your entire penthouse in here, but move some couches and such so that he can’t even reach the door,” her father said. “It’ll be nice and cozy. We’ll get a bed, and we’ll put in some curtains on the side for privacy. Well, some privacy. Jarod does have to get on the other side to bathe.”

What? “Move furniture in here?” She asked. What was wrong with her Daddy? That was ridiculous!

“Yeah. You’re rugs and decorations. Make it comfy.” He smiled at her. “Just until we are absolutely certain he can’t get away again. Even if something happens with the locks, it won’t matter. He’d have to go through you.”

“I suppose that would work,” Sydney said. “I may have to press the couch or bed away on the rare chance I have to go in.”

“Yes, and, there we go. Perfect,” her Daddy said. He backed up and held out his hands. “That won’t feel like prison to Jarod, and you’ll feel more at home too. Everyone is happy.”

“I agree with that arrangement,” Jarod said. He bumped into her shoulder gently. “Home sweet home. Bring at least a couple of chairs for the den, Sweetie.”

“As soon as Daddy’s back is turned,” she whispered through gritted teeth. “You are going to pay for this, you fucking slimy ass Chameleon.” She looked back toward her Daddy and smiled with her regular voice. “Lots of computers and books and a desk in the way.”

“Hm. Jarod’s not doing Military sims right now-“

“-ever-“ Jarod corrected him.

“-so we don’t need as many computers.” Daddy looked at Zane. “Makes sense?”

“Keep the desk,” Zane agreed, “and take out the military books and manuals. For now.”

“Forever,” Jarod said again.

“It is not the best environment for his mind, but we do have the blank sim room still. Nothing goes in there.” Zane shrugged. “It is better than the environment he was in. It’s a start. I agree with Mister Parker. This will work.”

“Temporarily?” She questioned her Daddy. “For how long?”

“A few months maybe. I mean, with all of the focus on finding how he escaped or could escape, instead of chasing him down?” Her Daddy smiled. “A few months I’m sure.”

“Going to take more than a few months,” Jarod whispered in her ear. “It’ll be downright cozy in here. Ooh, penthouse furniture.”

She grabbed his hand and dug her fingernails into his skin, enjoying the sounds of his quiet ‘ah-ah-ah-ah-ah’. “Don’t. Push. Me.” She let go.

“Ah.” Jarod moved his hand away. “Heel, girl.” He put his hand behind his mouth. “You could always stop this though by saying no?” Jarod waved as her father and Zane left. “Oh look, there they go. So busy in their activities and figuring out our new sweet ‘pad’. I don’t see any sign they are even considering letting you go.”

“He’s right, Miss Parker,” Daphne spoke up first. “I’m afraid I just helped them a bit too much.”

“Beat it, Blondie!” Not happy right now with her at all.

“He is right,” Sydney said approaching the dome too. “Say No to your father.”

“Yeah,” Broots finally started coming up. “It’s uh? You need to do that, Miss P. Say no.”

“Just say no,” Blondie said again.

“No,” Sydney repeated.

“Just N-O,” Broots agreed. “It’s not The Centre, just your dad. Just say no.”

She watched Zane turn the corner, and her father start to come back.

“Angel.” Now her father’s expression was different. That was more of what she expected. He was drawing out Zane, of course that’s what he was doing. He came over quickly to the door. “You and I are going to have a little talk.” He opened the door and let her back out, sealing it again. “An important talk about family secrets. Then?” He placed his hand on her shoulder. “I know I can depend on you to get this done. I’m sorry about the secrets, Honey, I was going to tell you when you took over The Centre.” He looked toward Sydney. “We’ll be back. Keep your eyes on him.” He looked toward Daphne and Broots. “Everyone keep your eyes on him.” He stole a look to the sweepers on duty too over him. “Everyone.”

 

Jarod screamed in his head. Sooo close! Getting Miss Parker to guard over the dome so he could talk to her and study her? That was what he wanted to achieve within twenty eight hours. To see her. To get into her head. He hadn’t planned on Zane winning some kind of argument and Mister Parker actually putting her into the dome with him. It almost felt too good to be true. Who did that?

 He was supposed to be there to gather more info on her, on a more emotional level. Personal. One on one. Instead, she was about to just give him ‘more than he bargained for’. The figure of Santa during the season of Christmas that would be coming up in a few months seemed to have visited him early almost. It was like someone looked at his actual ‘List’ and decided ‘grant this wish’.

Then as quickly as that hope came, it was over. Oh, he just had to come back. Mister Parker had seen how close he pushed.

Secrets. Family secrets. Jarod waited. Just staring at the people outside his dome. They won’t be about her mother. He could guarantee Mister Parker wouldn’t tell her that Catherine was most likely murdered out on the cliffs of white, not committing suicide in The Centre. Her dad had more family secrets though? Something to try and form a trust. A bond.

That taste though, of being so close. I almost won the whole thing. Everyone was cheering her on to say no. If he hadn’t butted in. It was working perfectly, that Daphne really nailing it with the idea of the door instead of watching him? That look on Parker’s face, that realization she wasn’t on the top? He couldn’t have done better than that.

This is why he needed to get closer. Somewhere along the line, Parker seemed to have actually made ‘friends’. At least, friendly people who cared about her. A strictly Centre minded person would not have been chanting for her to say no. It was so strong among them, she almost did it. She almost said no. Oh, what a beautiful sight that would have been. She would have freed herself.  

He looked toward Sydney who was really looking back at him. Even he knew how close they were to a big victory.

 

Character Overviews To This Fiction: (Spoilers, last call for Spoilers.) You can always go on and come back to this page if you forget about something. That’s why I created it.

 

Jarod: Jarod was four years old when he was taken from The Centre. He was born in 1983 (instead of 1963). While Jarod still has his innocent charm (loving ice cream and pez) he has learned a lot about the real world quickly by living in Harlem like sex, transgenders, gangsta rap and more. He still keeps his red notebooks but turned them into ipads with red covers. He isn’t as timid and does call Miss Parker a bitch, referring to her leashing. He originally tried to escape with Catherine Parker when he was a teen but things went bad. He holds what feels like a more serious grudge against Sydney, but it seems to have evened out a little by the end. Still, he doesn’t just come out and tell Sydney things he should know. Jarod plays with him too. Jarod has a 3d simulator that he takes on his travels, just like the one he made for The Centre. He leaves things for Miss Parker about her past like in the TV series, but the worse was at the end of the book. However, he’s also delicate and uses Little Miss with her toward the end too. He wants to free her from The Centre’s grasp too.

Miss Parker: This version feels more hardcore than the TV one, seriously. She even knows about SL27, The Centre’s darkest areas. There’s no exploring underneath The Centre’s nose.  She listens to Pink’s Fucking Perfect (which is an awesome detail I love), and curses a lot more than I even put in the fiction (although I am trying to keep up.) She doesn’t have many qualms about death around her, and psychologically you can feel what’s happening through the novel (to me) more than you can pick up in the show. She is definitely still a beautiful, sexual woman that looked just like her mother and she holds complete control, even in the bedroom. She only loses control to her Daddy, which she craves the affections of still. Her father is probably still Raines (although he wasn’t stated in the novel, he was hinted about with a squealing oxygen tank) so I assume she was still a red file like on the show. She has an Uncle Zane that is close friends to The Triumvirates and trying to take The Centre from her father. Excellent and ruthless, it is clear that something is wrong with her too when it talks about the polite society woman’s way to go . . .

Jarod and Miss Parker: Similar past as TV series. Same sort of hidden feelings, but only up super close. Like the TV series. Otherwise, total hell to each other.:) Miss Parker also changes between calling him Chameleon and Pretender, less Boy Genius.

Broots: Literally like the last chapter. Seems very similar to the TV. He is even said to have been ‘missed’ by Miss Parker, but not out loud. Miss Parker had banished him to elsewhere in The Centre, but he’s called in to help for Jarod. It doesn’t state he has Debbie, so I am extrapolating that from the show.

Daphne: Daphne is from the novel. (I wish she was in the show.) She helps to catch Jarod too. Blonde hair, ponytail, good with computers. She looks like she’s a quiet, calm individual like Broots but she’s not. She has a wild side we get to see tapped a little in the novel and she is in love with Miss Parker. Originally called Blondie, Miss Parker bumps her up to her original name when she realizes her worth to The Centre.

Cornelius: Cman, Cornman, The Big Corn, Candy Corn, Anything Corn is his name. He’s not a pleasant person to be around. Miss Parker recruits him from SL-27 to catch Jarod. He gets fired towards the end. He’s out there though and he’s brought back only slightly in this fic.

Zane: Miss Parker’s Uncle and brother of Mister Parker. He wants The Centre and if Mister Parker doesn’t catch Jarod, he might just get his wish.

Raines: Never stated, only implied with the squealing of an oxygen tank.

Sydney: At first, Sydney is fully looking for Jarod. He feels like the world is too much and he needs to be back in his pure, white, quiet conditions. As things progress, his views change. He also keeps up with Miss Parker because her ‘preferably alive’ statement scares him. Sydney lost his wife and one year old son many years ago, they just vanished. He tries to get along with Miss Parker. He seems to maybe have reached a more appreciated spot to her towards the end.

Mister Parker: He doesn’t seem colder than the TV series, but Sydney’s recollections with Catherine is placing him in a much darker light.

Angelo: Never mentioned, but Jarod mentions ‘a boy in the pipes’ in one line of dialogue.

Main Setting:

 

Jarod’s Dome and Escape: Jarod’s Dome is one of many reasons I chose the novels, as well as the escape. The TV series never could show how Jarod escaped exactly, but this goes into great detail. I love it.

 










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